Birthday Wishes
by Neel-anjana
Summary: Even after years of marriage, Damon sometimes needs his insecurities soothed away.


**Just something that I wrote, a while ago, at the disgusting end of the season finale. Thought I'd put it out there for anyone interested. I don't own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters. Oh, and in my version of events, Enzo has found peace after Bonnie ceases to be in danger. He is** _ **not**_ **hanging around next to Bonnie, keeping her company. What the hell was that? Oh, let Bonnie head off adventuring and finding herself but** _ **no,**_ **she obviously cannot move on from her ghost boyfriend. Bullshit! In this story, Enzo does not exist outside of this author's note.**

 **Birthday Wishes**

Someone is nibbling her shoulder. She feels their warm breath on the nape of her neck, as she slowly rouses from her slumber. A sleepy giggle escapes her, even though she tries to resist, and the lips on her skin stretch into a smile as the arm around her waist pulls her in tighter to a warm chest. Even after all these years, the feel of that warmth, the vibration of a steady heartbeat, jolts her.

"Mmhmm..." she pushes his head away, with a whine. "Damon, it's Saturday. You're supposed to let me lie in."

"Who is asking you to get up, beautiful girl?" he nuzzles her throat. "I'm...simply...appreciating...how...lovely...you...look...lying...in." Each word is punctuated by a necklace of kisses along her collarbones." His head pops up suddenly and he rolls her onto her back. "Happy Birthday."

She opens her eyes, looking up at shining blue irises. The tenderness, the warmth, the love in them makes her breath catch. It still shocks her, how he looks at her. As if she is _everything,_ as if his world would fall apart if she did not open her eyes one morning. Damon's overwhelming intensity still manages to make her afraid. Not for herself, but for _him._ Bonnie fears for him if he were to somehow lose her, someday.

"I had forgotten," she smiles, lifting her hand to frame his cheek. He leans into the simple gesture, his eyelashes lowering, as he kisses her fingers and then bends to kiss her on the lips. Bonnie immediately puts her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, deepening the kiss. Kissing Damon is dangerous, oh _so_ dangerous, since it always makes her forget her need to breathe. He could kill her right now by depriving her of oxygen and she would depart the world a happy woman. Thankfully, Damon remembers their needs and draws back.

"Lucky for you that I remembered then. I even planned for breakfast in bed. Really, Bon-Bon, what would you do without me?"

"Oh, I think I could manage," she grins, offering him a cheeky smile. However, her attempt at humour falls flat as his smile slowly fades. He doesn't meet her eyes as he begins to twine a dark curl around his finger, keeping his eyes on the lock of hair.

"Yes, you would, wouldn't you? You never _have_ needed me half as much as I need you."

"Well, it's a good thing that you won't have to do without me then. You, old man, already nearing your ancient forties, not a chance in hell you're outliving me!"

"You're exactly the same age as me now," Damon responds, getting distracted for a second. He pulls his mind back to the point he was attempting to make. "I've already lived so long without you. Because I'm an idiot. I can't believe that it took me so long to realise that what I always needed was right in front of me. I can't believe you even gave me a chance."

"Damon," Bonnie sighs. "What is up with this mood? What's the matter?"

He shrugs. "Elena called yesterday. We spoke. She asked if we were really happy."

"And...let me guess...you both realised what a mistake you'd made breaking up barely three months after she got back and this is you asking me to let you leave?" Bonnie raises an eyebrow.

He glares at her. "Not funny, bird! _No,_ I was wondering what would have happened had we _not_ broken up, had we gotten marri... _"_

"Divorce."

"... _And_ only then, after it was too late, I had realised who I really loved, and had loved for years, somehow, without ever realising it."

"Oh, are we talking about me now?"

"I might hit you now if you don't shut up. You're being infuriating today."

"As opposed to you being infuriating every other day."

" _Bonnie."_

She exhales loudly and pushes up till they are both seated, facing one another. Then, she leans forward, laying her small hands on his chest. "Damon, it does not matter what could have been, what mistakes we _could_ have made. We've all been through enough without complicating our lives even further with 'what ifs'. What matters now is that we love each other and we're happy together. And I _don't_ regret you, okay? You've done a lot of terrible things and I cannot even forgive you for some of the things that you have done to me. But we made a choice long ago to move on beyond that. Stop forever looking back. Do something, take some step towards correcting past wrongs but don't live in the past and torture yourself over it. It won't help anyone."

Hesitantly, after a long moment of contemplation, he leans forward, leaning his forehead against hers. And smiles. "Thank God you came back to me from Egypt." He draws back. "Now, let's go celebrate your thirty-fifth birthday, you wise girl of mine."

...

Bonnie's break from Mystic Falls is going splendidly. After a few _wonderful_ months spent in first Kenya and Tanzania, and then South Africa, she has now moved up north to Egypt. As she spends hours exploring museums, temples and market-places, she is relieved to push all heartache, all memories associated with _home_ away. Having dispensed with her old phone, which lies somewhere at the bottom of her bag, she is happy not knowing what is happening there at present. And if her conscience tries to tell her that some calamity has probably arisen _again_ and Elena is probably in danger _again,_ she hushes it, telling herself they need to learn to live without having her at their beck and call and _God, she needs a break!_

Thus, it takes her aback when she accidentally glimpses a calendar one day and the first thing to register is that it is Damon's birthday. That evening, after a resplendent dinner on the Nile Cruise, once she bids the ever-helpful staff goodnight and retires to her cabin, after some effort, she locates her mobile phone and switches it on. A flood of messages, missed calls and voicemails, mostly from Damon himself has her questioning herself on her decision. He will give her hell for ignoring him, surely. She had called Caroline once from a public phone booth in Johannesburg, but has pretty much ignored everybody else back home. It takes her some time to do it, but she pulls herself together and begins to read the messages. Most of them are hilarious as he complains about his problems regarding his newly human state. Some are updates about the state of everybody back home. A few ask where the hell she is and why she isn't answering her phone.

It is the voicemails that are hard to listen to. He is drunk in most of them, angry at her for abandoning him, beseeching her to come back, she is a rotten friend, doesn't she know he misses her, that he needs her with him, " _Fuck,_ Bonnie it _hurts."_

"Elena and I broke up. Everyone was right. We cannot be together with her as a human. My brother gave up his life for nothing...Bonnie...come back. _Please."_

She does not call him.

...

The doorbell takes him by surprise. Nobody really comes to his apartment anymore, not since Elena left a month ago. Alaric and Elena both called on his birthday, two days ago. But no one has visited in weeks. It's probably Ric. He does not feel like opening the door but his friend is capable of being as whiny as a twelve year old, and he feels it is better to just get whatever it is over with. "This better be important, old man," he grumbles as he swings the door open.

She is darker than he is used to, her caramel skin darkened to a deep, deep gold and her emerald eyes shine jewel bright in contrast. Her hair is long again, and in bouncing curls. He has to stare at her and analyse each aspect of her appearance carefully, because the whole vision is too much to take in. For surely he is dreaming, Bonnie cannot _possibly_ be back after months of radio silence, each day of which he spent wondering _how_ she can do so marvellously well without him while he just feels lost. She cracks a smile that is almost shy, "Happy belated birthday to you, Damon."

He almost snatches her into his arms, in his eagerness to feel her body against his, to smell that scent of lemon and sage that is so uniquely hers, to feel her soft laugh muffled against his chest as he buries his face in her hair, murmuring, "You're here, you're home" in disbelieving tones.

Bonnie pulls away and smiles up at him softly. She reaches up to push away an unruly black lock which has fallen across his forehead and raises her head to look him in the eyes. She has to tilt her head a good bit, since his arms are still around her. He is yet to let go. Maybe he never will. Really, in his arms is just the perfect place for her to spend the rest of her life. Many women have died for less.

"I'm home," she laughs and Damon feels something fall into place in his chest.

...

Bonnie's thirty fifth birthday is a great success. After many years, all the remaining members of the gang get together to celebrate. Matt brings his family, Elena her husband, and the twins their respective boyfriends. Caroline plans everything to perfection and the party goes off without a hitch. There are no evil guys burning the place down, no vampires attempting murder, no witches wreaking havoc. It is peaceful and happy, as they laugh and smile together about the past, sharing memories and 'do you remembers'? When the cake arrives, Bonnie offers Damon a beaming smile before pulling him along to help her cut the cake. As the candles are blown out and everybody offers their congratulations, he slips his arms around her and kisses her temples and she can feel the aura of contentment and peace radiating off him.

It is much later, after everybody has left, as they are getting ready for bed, Bonnie turns to Damon, presses her lips to his and kisses him deeply. She slips her arms around his neck and raises herself on her toes to look him in the eyes. "I love you. We are happy, aren't we?"

He smiles, drawing her closer. "Happiest I've ever been, Bonnie-bird."

If anyone were listening, the last coherent words they would hear would have been, "See, back to infuriating! Don't call me that!" And a chorus of joyous laughter.

The End.


End file.
